{"id":5187,"date":"2010-07-29T13:01:31","date_gmt":"2010-07-29T18:01:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.downrange.tv\/blog\/?p=5187"},"modified":"2010-07-29T13:01:31","modified_gmt":"2010-07-29T18:01:31","slug":"1st-at-single-stack-nats-rob-leatham-of-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.downrange.tv\/blog\/1st-at-single-stack-nats-rob-leatham-of-course\/5187\/","title":{"rendered":"1st at Single Stack Nats: Rob Leatham (of course)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here is the last interview in a great series with the top five shooters at this year\u2019s USPSA Single Stack Nationals.<\/em> The series was the brainchild of\u00a0 the ‘movers and shakers’ behind the scenes at the Women of USPSA blog<\/a>. A big thanks to Women of USPSA for allowing DRTV to republish the interviews and congratulations on a job well done. Now to the interview…<\/em><\/p>\n

Tired of hearing about Rob Leatham winning another Single Stack Nationals (formerly the Single Stack Classic)?\u00a0 We\u2019re not!\u00a0 2010 marked his 16th consecutive win<\/strong>, and one which might possibly be his last.\u00a0 I know, I know, we say that after every Single Stack, however, keep in mind that Rob will be a Quinquagenarian by 2011\u2019s National.<\/p>\n

With each passing match, though, the margin of victory gets smaller and smaller. Rob beat Taran Butler this year by a small margin \u2013 <\/strong>12+ points.\u00a0 Nonetheless, he did win, and we have great respect for Rob. \u00a0 More than just stating he won, we wanted to get the story from him personally <\/strong>on his Sweet 16th Title<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

2010 USPSA Single Stack National Champion \u2013 Rob Leatham<\/strong> (24-Time USPSA National Champion, 5-Time IPSC World Champion)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>WoU –<\/strong> Congratulations, Rob, on winning the Springfield \/ USPSA Single Stack Nationals.\u00a0 What does it mean to have obtained your 16th consecutive <\/em>Single Stack Nationals victory?<\/p>\n

Rob –<\/strong> Thanks so much.\u00a0 To tell the truth, I didn\u2019t expect <\/strong>to win this year, so pulling it off makes me feel like this season is already a success. I think I won\u2019t fully appreciate the wins until I finally lose.<\/p>\n

WoU –<\/strong> Tell us about the gun and the gear you used in the match.<\/p>\n

Rob \u2013 <\/strong>This year\u2019s 1911 is the best gun I have ever shot.\u00a0 It was built by the Springfield Custom Shop,<\/strong> using a Springfield Armory 1911 operator frame (light rail<\/strong>) cut to the same length as a standard frame in .40 caliber.\u00a0 It has a squared trigger guard<\/strong> and 20 LPI checkering <\/strong>front and back.\u00a0 Adjustable rear sight with Dawson fiber optic front<\/strong>, a Kart barrel <\/strong>and the new TGO design grips (AlumaGrips) <\/strong>and a Techwell TGO mag well<\/strong>.\u00a0 The frame assembly is hard chromed <\/strong>and the slide is ION bonded<\/strong>.\u00a0 This makes for a traditional but very durable look.\u00a0 I use Wilson <\/strong>10 mm magazines which have worked flawlessly for me since 1995!<\/p>\n

My holster <\/strong>rig is a new <\/em>Safariland dual belt<\/strong> with quick-detachable brackets<\/strong> that allow me to easily switch holsters and \u00a0pouches from one division to another.\u00a0 The holster is the standard Safariland 5188 <\/strong>on a 013 rod that allows total adjustability<\/strong>.\u00a0 It is so close in speed to an Open 013 rig that, except for the Steel Challenge, I\u2019m not sure it is at much disadvantage.<\/p>\n

Not since my very first single stack championship gun , which I used the first four years, have I had a gun that I wouldn\u2019t change a thing on.<\/p>\n

WoU \u2013 <\/strong>So, you\u2019ll retire a perfect gun \u2026<\/p>\n

Rob \u2013 <\/strong>That\u2019s the plan now, but come next year, I may have to snatch it from the safe!<\/p>\n

WoU \u2013 <\/strong>The perfect gun, but you haven\u2019t been in perfect shape for some time now. You had knee surgery earlier in the year and are now recovering from total knee replacement <\/strong>surgery. \u00a0How difficult has it become dealing with your knees and competing at such a high level?<\/p>\n

Rob –<\/strong> Well, 20 years ago (when I initially injured my knee), it was not a big deal.\u00a0 10 years ago, I started noticing a more limited range of motion \u2013 but it wasn\u2019t really affecting my shooting much.\u00a0 5 years ago, I saw that something would eventually need to be done, as I was getting along OK, but having to make up in shooting speed what I was losing in movement time.\u00a0 At last year\u2019s nationals, I knew it was time.<\/strong> I couldn\u2019t stay competitive in field courses with more than a couple steps between positions.\u00a0 I have always been good in and out of a position, but now I was just too slow in full speed.\u00a0 More than that, I was losing the ability to shoot well on the move<\/strong>.\u00a0 That was insurmountable to me and meant that it was finally time to cut my legs up and get them fixed!<\/p>\n

WoU \u2013 <\/strong>An inside source says that you\u2019re beginning to see some progress on your TKR.\u00a0 We\u2019re so glad to hear that!<\/p>\n

Rob –<\/strong> I am \u2013 and that\u2019s a very welcome sight for me!\u00a0 I\u2019m not the most patient person in the world.\u00a0 I want to be running \u2026 now!<\/p>\n

WoU –<\/strong> We admire that drive and determination.\u00a0 You have had a career that has spanned decades.\u00a0 What USPSA victories stand out most for you?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Rob \u2013 <\/strong>My first National Championship win, which was IPSC USA, before USPSA, and that first World Shoot win, both in 1983, will always be the most special.\u00a0 They are what kick started my career and got the ball rolling.\u00a0 Before that, I was just an amateur.\u00a0 Those wins really lit a fire in me and made me want to shoot more than anything else.<\/p>\n

WoU <\/strong>– How do you find the level of competition now vs. in the 80\u2019s or 90\u2019s?<\/p>\n

Rob –<\/strong> There are many more good shooters <\/strong>now than then, but we\u2019re all broken up among divisions.\u00a0 Back in the early days, at any given match, there were really only 8 to 10 guys capable of consistently putting down scores good enough to win an overall.\u00a0 Remember, back then there was just one division.\u00a0 Everyone shot the same category, which meant you were in battle with everyone <\/strong>at the match.\u00a0 There was no sub culture of production, limited or what have you specialists.\u00a0 We all were general purpose shooters.\u00a0 If you wanted to shoot more than one big match a year you had to jump into a different discipline.\u00a0 Practical shooters all shot the Steel Challenge and the Bianchi\u00a0 Cup, otherwise you had one National and that was it.<\/p>\n

The battles I had in the 80\u2019s with Jerry Barnhart<\/strong> are what made me tough.\u00a0 No one was a better competitor, and if he was within striking distance, you were in trouble.\u00a0 He would fight to the very end.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t really enjoy those wars as much then as I do now (thinking back on them).\u00a0\u00a0 One year, he made up 50 points on me on the last three stages of a National Match in Barry!\u00a0 He really had me scared that I was gonna blow a 70 point lead.\u00a0 I barely squeaked that one out.\u00a0 Again \u2026 not much fun, but I do miss having Jerry on the range.<\/p>\n

WoU –<\/strong> Those were some intense battles indeed.\u00a0 Now, you have won more Single Stack titles than anyone.\u00a0 Is it your favorite division?<\/p>\n

Rob \u2013 <\/strong>Without a doubt.\u00a0 As I get older, I may start losing the ability to see the sights <\/strong>clear enough to win.\u00a0 Regardless, the closer the guns are to a daily, usable and sellable piece of equipment, the more I like them.\u00a0 The low mag capacity makes accuracy more important, and conservation of the rounds you fire critical.\u00a0 You can\u2019t just shoot endless extra shots like in Open and Limited or you are going to be doing a bunch of standing reloads.<\/strong> It is a pure category<\/strong>. You can\u2019t perform highly or win in single stack if you can\u2019t shoot well.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>WoU –<\/strong> What do you like about the Single Stack Division?<\/p>\n

Rob –<\/strong> The purity of it.\u00a0 Make every shot count.\u00a0\u00a0 Figure out what you are doing on a stage and execute properly<\/strong>.\u00a0 Be deliberate and precise.<\/p>\n

WoU –<\/strong> Historically at the Single Stack the GM\u2019s are spread out all over the match in different squads. \u00a0This year was no exception. Do you prefer to shoot with a variety of shooters or do you like to be squadded in a Super Squad?<\/p>\n

Rob \u2013 <\/strong>It\u2019s fun to shoot with all levels, but I would prefer to have my competition with me.<\/strong> I had many great men shooters in this year\u2019s squad who placed very high, along with the Ladies Champ Julie, and Kippi, who finished third. I think, though, that the super squad is still better for the top competitors<\/strong> so they can keep track of each other and see what\u2019s going on.\u00a0 At the least they should all shoot on the same day, so all the conditions are the same.\u00a0 I don\u2019t like it when someone wins shooting earlier or later than I did.\u00a0 Makes me feel like they weren\u2019t under the same pressure.\u00a0 It is a National Championship \u2026 right?\u00a0 At a lower level match, I love shooting with anybody!<\/p>\n

WoU \u2013 <\/strong>How do you feel you performed?<\/p>\n

Rob –<\/strong> Average.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t really get things going until the second day.\u00a0 I was sluggish and performed poorly in the accuracy department.\u00a0 I was lucky to win as this match penalizes that kind of performance more than most.\u00a0 The second half of the second day is when I put my head down and started working hard.\u00a0 Then the times and points started getting where they needed to be.\u00a0 I was lazy early and that nearly cost me!!!<\/p>\n

WoU \u2013 <\/strong>If there is one thing you can attribute to your success as a shooter, what would it be?<\/p>\n

Rob –<\/strong> Tenacity and drive.\u00a0 I love to shoot and hate to lose.\u00a0 Winning isn\u2019t all that important most of the time \u2013 it is just the result of a good<\/strong> performance<\/strong>. Failing to shoot well, on the other hand, feels TERRIBLE and almost always ends up in defeat. I hate to shoot poorly.\u00a0 Since I have the means and time to train, I have no excuse to shoot poorly.\u00a0 I may get slower on the move with my knees, but I should always shoot the best.<\/strong> I might get beat, but I should never loose because of lack of preparation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

WoU \u2013 <\/strong>Rob, congratulations once again on making history<\/strong>!\u00a0 We wish you the best of luck with your recovery and hope you\u2019re fully prepared <\/strong>for the October Nationals!\u00a0 Thanks for your time.<\/p>\n